A Herd All My Own
by AnimationNut
Summary: Ash certainly has a lot of Pokémon. But it's his herd of Tauros that catch the eyes of three businessmen. They're prepared with an offer to purchase the herd. What they're not prepared for is a young boy with a fierce love and loyalty to his beloved Pokémon.


**I do not own the Pokémon franchise.**

**A Herd All My Own**

The Ketchum household, nestled within the rolling grass plains of Pallet Town, was filled with the delightful scent of simmering bacon and eggs. Delia hummed a happy tune as she cooked, shifting the eggs in the black pan with a spatula. "Oh, Mimey! Isn't it wonderful to have Ash back at home?"

Mr. Mime turned away from the counter where it had been tending to the tea to look at its friend. _"Mr. Mime!"_

Indeed, it was rather refreshing to have the young Pokémon Trainer back home, even if it did mean more messes to clean up. Not that Mr. Mime minded-it loved to clean and was happy to do it.

A knock sounded at the door just then, causing Mr. Mime to quickly place the ceramic tea pot on the counter and hurry to answer. It opened the door just a crack so that it could see who it was, and upon seeing the esteemed Professor Samuel Oak it gave a sound of greeting and opened the door wider.

"Hello there, Mr. Mime," Sam greeted, stepping past the threshold. "Is Delia around?"

"In here, Sam!" Delia called, turning off the fire on the stove and setting the spatula aside.

Sam entered the kitchen and paused in the entryway, stepping aside a bit so that Mr. Mime could pass by. "My, something smells good."

"Just cooking a 'welcome home' breakfast for Ash." Delia turned to face her good friend with a bright smile. "What can I do for you?"

"I don't suppose Ash is up yet?"

The brightness of Delia's smile faded upon picking up on the reluctant tone in the elder man's voice. "What's wrong?"

"Hmm?"

"I've known you for a long time, Sam. I know when something's bothering you." Delia crossed her arms with a slight frown. "Now what is it?"

Sam rubbed his forehead, trying to fend off the oncoming headache. "It's only the same thing that's been pestering me for the past few weeks."

Delia's brown eyes widened. "Not _them_."

"I'm afraid so," Sam said tiredly. "I tried to send them away but they insist on speaking with Ash. They must have gotten word that he was returning to Pallet Town. And…while I hate to admit it, it _is _Ash who makes the decision, not me."

"There's no way Ash would agree to such a thing!"

"I know that, but _they _seem to think otherwise. I really should have told Ash sooner…"

"Well, it's understandable why you didn't." Delia placed a hand on his shoulder and offered a comforting smile. "You didn't want to disrupt Ash's streak of enthusiasm for his new adventure in the Kalos region. This information would have really bothered him." She paused for a moment and glanced uncertainly at the burgundy curtains that covered the windows. "Um…are they here?"

"They're waiting at the end of the path," Sam confirmed. "They're persistent pests, I'll give them that."

"Ash is still in bed. I'll go wake him. Please, help yourself to some breakfast. I'll be right back." Delia hurried up the wooden stairs and walked down the hallway towards Ash's room. She carefully opened the door and peeked inside.

Ash had gotten home late the previous night. He managed to spend a couple hours speaking with his mother about his adventures and new travel companions before heading off to bed. The ten-year-old was snoozing away, obviously catching up on lost amounts of sleep. Pikachu and his new Pokémon buddy Froakie were cuddled in his arms. Fletching was snuggled in Ash's messy black hair, cooing softly in its sleep.

The sight was absolutely adorable. Delia smiled fondly and stepped into the dark room. She threw open the curtains, letting the sun pierce through the shadows.

"Nooooo," Ash moaned, roused from slumber by the bright rays. "Too early."

Delia cast a quick glance at Ash's clock. It was nine in the morning, which she supposed was too early for a boy who hadn't been sleeping too well as of late. "I'm sorry, sweetie. But Professor Oak is here to see you."

This brought some alarm, for Professor Oak was not known to drop by before noon without giving some notice. Ash sat up, jostling his Pokémon awake in the process. "What's wrong? Are my Pokémon okay?" Ash asked in concern.

Delia hesitated, but only slightly. "No, no, they're fine. It's just that Professor Oak has something he would like to discuss with you."

"What is it?" Ash asked in curiosity. He always loved visiting his father-figure but he couldn't understand what would be so important that it couldn't wait until the afternoon.

"You'll just have to ask him yourself," Delia said vaguely, not wanting to delve into the matter. She figured it would be best to leave the entire ordeal to Sam.

"_Pika!" _Pikachu yawned, climbing out of Ash's arms and jumping down to the floor. _"Chu!" _he greeted happily, rubbing his cheek affectionately against Delia's ankle. Delia bent down and scooped him up in her arms.

"Good morning, Pikachu. Are you hungry?"

"_Chu!" _Pikachu confirmed eagerly.

"_Froakie?" _Froakie's attention was piqued by the offer of food. It glanced hopefully up at Delia. _"Froa?"_

Delia laughed. "I think its breakfast time. Ash, why don't get ready while I feed your Pokémon?"

"Okay," Ash agreed. "I'll be down in a minute."

Delia left with Pikachu, Froakie and Fletchling in tow. Ash got out of bed and hastily pulled off his pajamas, replacing them with a pair of jeans and a blue hoodie. He slapped his beloved cap over his uncontrollable hair and jogged downstairs with bare feet. His mother was doling out Pokéfood into three separate bowls, Mr. Mime was cleaning the counter and there were already three plates of eggs and bacon on the table. Professor Oak put down his fork upon seeing Ash.

"Hello there, Ash. It certainly didn't take too long for you to come for a visit."

Ash grinned sheepishly, knowing that many months often passed before he returned from his current journey as a Pokémon Trainer to visit his hometown. "Yeah, I figured it would be a good time. Serena is helping her mother set up the next Rhyhorn race and Bonnie and Clemont are doing gym business with their father. Since it'll be at least a week before they're able to continue on our journey, I thought it would be a nice time to spend at home. I really miss everybody."

"Your Pokémon will be very happy to know they'll get so much time with you. As will your mother." Sam winked at the boy as Delia swatted him playfully. "How has the Kalos region been so far?"

"It's been great!" Ash exclaimed, dropping down into a wooden chair and digging eagerly into his breakfast. "I'vealreadywonagymbadgefrom-"

"Ash, don't chew with your mouth open," Delia chided.

Ash blushed and hastily swallowed. "Sorry. I've already won a gym badge from Alexa's sister Viola. I didn't win the first time, though, but after some special training my Pokémon were ready!"

"That's wonderful, Ash. Although it doesn't surprise me that you're doing so well. You're on the path to becoming a great Pokémon Trainer-and an even greater Pokémon Master." Sam smiled proudly.

Ash blushed. "Aw, thanks, Professor. Say, what did you want to talk about?"

"Why don't you finish your breakfast first and then we'll talk?"

Ash did not need to be told twice. His plate was devoured in two minutes and he sighed contentedly. "That was great, Mom. I've really missed your cooking."

"If you came home more often you wouldn't miss it so much," Delia teased lightly.

"I'll try." Ash grinned. "So, what's up Professor?"

"Well…a few days after you left for the Kalos region, a trio of men stopped by my lab," Sam began slowly. "They were passing through Pallet Town and spotted your herd of Tauros running through the fields. They said that they were the strongest Tauros they had seen in a long time."

Ash beamed with pride. "Well, my Pokémon are pretty awesome."

"Yes, well…" Sam took a deep breath and prepared for the outburst that would come after his next statement. "They offered to buy them."

A stunned expression crossed Ash's face before he yelped in outrage. "No! No! No!" he cried, jolting out of his seat. "A thousand times no!"

"Don't raise your voice at Sam!" Delia warned. "I know you must be upset but adjust your tone."

"You did say no, right?" Ash asked anxiously, his volume lowering. Pikachu glanced up from his food to stare at the professor in concern. Surely the man wouldn't sell Ash's Tauros?

"Of course I said no," Sam soothed, gently easing the boy back into his chair. "But they won't stop knocking at my door. They have their eyes set on your Tauros and eventually I had to admit that they weren't mine. They want to talk to you."

"It'll be a short conversation," Ash said with a frown. "Are they here now? Is that why you're here?"

"Yes, but-"

Ash jumped to his feet and charged out of the house, ignoring the protests of his mother and father-figure. His bare feet padded down the dirt pathway and he found three men decked out in business suits and carrying briefcases. Pikachu, Froakie and Fletchling hurried after him, wanting to be by their Trainer in case trouble arose. Delia and Sam, following the same mindset, watched closely from the living room window, ready to be by the boy's side in a second if need be.

"Are you Ash Ketchum?" one of the men asked.

"Yes, I am." Ash inclined his head, for he understood that there was no reason to be impolite. The businessmen were no Team Rocket and so he would be polite unless they gave him a reason not to be. "I hear that you have an offer for me."

"We do indeed. I am Eugene, and these are my business partners Maurice and Robert," Eugene introduced. "A few weeks ago we passed by Professor Oak's Pokémon reserve and noticed an impressive group of Tauros stampeding through the fields. They are the finest Tauros we've seen in a long while, so strong and powerful. How many do you own?"

"Thirty," Ash answered, a bit reluctantly.

"Well then, we're prepared to offer you one hundred and fifty dollars per Tauros," Maurice stated.

"No deal."

Surprised at the quick refusal, Eugene stared at the boy. "My dear boy, that's a generous offer."

"It probably is, but I'm sorry. Professor Oak told you guys no because he knew that that would be my answer. My Tauros aren't up for sale." Ash crossed his arms. "None of my Pokémon are."

"You're turning down a lot of money," Robert said slowly.

"If you have a problem with the price, we can raise it-"

"The answer is no," Ash cut off Maurice's attempt at persuasion, his expression firm.

"But…why?" Eugene asked, genuinely baffled. He knew lots of ten-year-olds who would jump on the opportunity to make so much money. "The Tauros would be taken care of and the work farms we sell Tauros to are all approved."

"See, that's the first problem. You can't split my Tauros up," Ash explained. "They're a herd-they belong together. They're a family. And most importantly they're a part of _my _family. No amount of money will ever make me sell my Pokémon. I love them all."

Eugene studied Ash for a long moment. The burning determination and devotion in the young boy's eyes made it clear that nothing on Earth would persuade him to sell his beloved Tauros. "I suppose we wasted our time, then?"

"I'm afraid so." Ash nodded, relieved that there hadn't been too much of a fight. "But hey, have a good one, alright?"

A slow smile curled across Robert's face. "You too, kid. Thanks for your time."

"Your Pokémon are lucky to have a Trainer like you," Maurice observed.

"Thanks!" Ash waved as the three departed down the path. "Thanks for being understanding!"

Once the men were out of sight Delia and Sam hurried out to meet the boy. "Did everything go alright?" Sam asked in concern.

"Everything went fine." Ash smiled. "They just needed to hear the answer from me, that's all."

"You're a special boy, Ash." Delia beamed and hugged her son. "I'm so proud of you."

"For what?" Ash asked, baffled.

"Your love for your Pokémon surpasses any monetary value. For someone so young, that's very impressive." Sam rubbed Ash's head fondly.

"_Pika!" _Pikachu agreed, jumping onto Ash's shoulder and nuzzling his cheek affectionately. Froakie and Fletchling cooed softly, nudging against Ash's legs.

Ash blushed. "Well, I love all my Tauros. I could never sell any of them."

"I can honestly say that your Tauros love you too," Sam said with a knowing smile.

Catching the mischievous glint in Sam's eyes, Ash tilted his head to the side curiously. "What makes you say-?"

And then he heard it.

The sound of dozens of hooves stampeding against hard dirt and lush green grass. Ash whipped around to see his herd of Tauros barrelling down the path towards him, utter glee written across their faces. "Hey! Guys! Slow down before you break something!"

This time the herd managed to control themselves-to a certain extent. Surrounding Ash, the Tauros happily licked and nudged the boy affectionately. Ash giggled from the ticklish sensations of their tongues. "Okay, okay! I'm really happy to see you guys too!"

"_Kie?" _Froakie peered at all the Tauros in awe. A Tauros approached the Water Pokémon and sniffed it curiously before giving a bellow of greeting.

Ash managed to get to his feet, his hand resting against the head of his Tauros. "Guys, these are our new friends, Froakie and Fletchling."

"_Fletchling!" _Fletching cooed, flying up and landing on a Tauros' horn. _"Fletch fletch!"_

"Ash, why don't you take your Tauros back to the reserve?" Sam suggested. "That way you can visit the rest of your Pokémon-and fix the hole in my fence this rambunctious group probably made."

"Sure thing, Professor." Ash beamed, eager to see all of his best friends again. He lovingly rubbed the head of his Tauros before climbing on his back. Froakie hopped on behind him and Ash pumped his fist in the air. "Come on, guys! Back to the lab we go!"

With that one command Ash started his own stampede, the herd thundering down the dirt pathway with Ash's delighted laughter travelling after them.

Throughout his life, Ash would continue to get monetary and trade offers for his Pokémon.

He would continue to turn down every one of them.

His Pokémon were his family-one big, loving, happy herd.

And you _never_ break a herd apart.


End file.
